Description
Book SynopsisRequests for the removal, relocation, and restriction of booksalso known as challengesoccur with some frequency in the United States. Book Banning in 21st-Century American Libraries, based on thirteen contemporary book challenge cases in schools and public libraries across the United States argues that understanding contemporary reading practices, especially interpretive strategies, is vital to understanding why people attempt to censor books in schools and public libraries. Previous research on censorship tends to focus on legal frameworks centered on Supreme Court cases, historical case studies, and bibliographies of texts that are targeted for removal or relocation and is often concerned with how censorship occurs. The current project, on the other hand, is focused on the why of censorship and posits that many censorship behaviors and practices, such as challenging books, are intimately tied to the how one understands the practice of reading and its effects on character development
Trade ReviewEmily Knox's book will prove to be important for those striving to understand challengers of books in school and public libraries. By taking their words seriously and situating them in useful theoretical frameworks, she provides a handle by which to grasp their world views. Knox's work adds not only to the scholarship on reading but also to the professional toolkit of librarians. -- Louise S. Robbins, Professor Emerita, School of Library and Information Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison
Emily Knox has already gained a national reputation for her expertise in this area of scholarship. This book will be a crucial addition to our knowledge of how censorship "works" in this century. -- Barbara M. Jones, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom
Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Trusting the System Chapter 2: Power and Knowledge Chapter 3: Perfect Timing Chapter 4: Moral decline Chapter 5: Reading Should Edify the Soul Chapter 6: Fear, Knowledge and Power Appendix 1: Methodological Note Appendix 1.1: General Google Alerts Appendix 1.2: Case Specific Google Alerts Appendix 2: Sample Request for Reconsideration Appendix 3: Chart of Challenge Cases Bibliography
